U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,949,019; 3,465,537; 3,559,424 and U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 26,101, 3,791,163, all of which patents are assigned to the assignee herein, disclose various types of ice making machines for producing ice in cube or similar form within a plurality of inverted ice forming molds or cups adapted to have water sprayed thereinto by means of a water spraying device located therebelow. During harvesting of the ice, the cubes formed within the cups drop downwardly into a storage chute or bin to which suitable access is provided.
The present invention is generally related to ice making machines of the above-described character; however, the apparatus of the present invention incorporates a number of improvements over the various types of ice making machines shown in such prior art. In particular, the present invention embodies a novel housing or enclosure having an ice storage bin that is mounted on the interior side of a tiltable access door or panel, whereby the door may be tilted or pivoted from its normal closed position to an open position to provide for access to the ice stored within the bin. The door and storage bin are mounted in a manner such that they may be conveniently removed from the ice making machine cabinet in order to provide for convenient access to the various ice making and refrigeration components therewithin, thus providing for convenient servicing, repair, cleaning and the like.
Another area of improvement of the present invention over the aforementioned patents resides in the construction and method of assembly of the combination platen and refrigeration evaporator assembly incorporated therein. In particular, the plurality of ice forming cups are mounted within a platen structure which is fabricated of a plastic or polymeric material and which is assembled with the cups in a manner so as to assure against any water leaking between the cups and the associated peripheral portions of the platen structure.
Another area of improvement of the present invention resides in the provision of a novel electrical control circuit which includes a pressure sensitive switch located in the high side pressure line of the refrigeration compressor and adapted to selectively control operation of the water pump for actuating the water spray bar during the harvest cycle and thereby accelerate the defrost or harvest or portion of the operational cycle of the present invention by utilizing such water to supplement the hot refrigerant gases which are communicated through the refrigeration evaporator during the harvest cycle. The pump motor, on air cooled versions of the present invention, is intended to be operable concomitantly with the condenser fan so that the fan will maintain acceptable refrigerant pressures, which pressures, under high ambient temperature conditions, may surge to cause excessive power requirements. Additionally, it is desirable to operate the condenser fan in order to prevent the refrigerant temperatures from rising too high during the harvest cycle since any excess heat in the refrigeration evaporator must be subsequently removed during the following freezing cycle; hence, by operating the condenser fan, refrigerant temperatures are maintained at an acceptable level so as to minimize cycle time.
It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ice making machine.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ice making machine which has a reduced cycle time and thus a larger ice producing capacity than comparable machines in the prior art.
It is still a more particular object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ice making machine of the above character which utilizes an electrical control circuit that selectively energizes the water pump motor during the harvest cycle so that make-up water can be used in conjunction with the hot gas defrost system in accelerating harvest time.
It is a related object of the present invention to operate the pump motor concomitantly with the condenser fan for maintaining acceptable refrigerant pressure levels during the harvest cycle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ice making machine of the above character having a new and improved platen assembly and method of manufacturing the same.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an ice making machine of the type having a tiltable access door, which door is conveniently removable to provide for servicing, repair, etc., of the associated ice making and refrigeration components.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ice making machine of the above-described type that will have a long and effective operational life and which may be easily and economically manufactured.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.